NPR Poll Results

General Direction

Generally speaking, do you think that things in this country are going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?

Job Approval

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president?

And do you approve or disapprove of the job Congress is doing?

Top Issues

Which ONE of the following issues do you think the president and Congress should be paying most attention to? Is it ...

Democratic Health Care Plan

Now let me read you two statements about Obama and the Democrats' health care plan. After I read these statements, please tell me which one comes closer to your own view, even if neither is exactly right.

Democrats say if we don't reform the health insurance system premiums will keep doubling every five years, more companies will drop coverage, and insurance companies will keep using the fine print to deny care when people need it. This plan shifts the power from the insurance companies to you and your doctors, gives you the peace of mind of knowing that you won't lose your coverage if you get sick or lose your job, and guarantees that if you like your doctors you can keep them. And it cuts costs by encouraging prevention and allowing people and businesses to comparison shop for the best and most affordable plan.

Republicans say we need to first control health care costs and require that insurance companies cover everyone, so there is no reason to rush through a plan right now that has so many problems. Under this plan, people will have fewer choices. It will not only limit access to quality care and result in rationing but also bust the budget by increasing spending when we are already spending too much on unproven programs like the stimulus. We shouldn't have a government-run health care plan in which patients can't go to the doctor they want and government bureaucrats decide who gets which treatments.

Energy Bill

As you may have heard, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a major energy bill. I am going to read you two statements about that bill. After I read these statements, please tell me which one comes closer to your own view, even if neither is exactly right.

Democrats say we've relied on the same old, dirty energy sources for too long. This bill will get America running on clean energy by rewarding companies that produce alternative energy and requiring companies to reduce their pollution. It will require more of our energy to come from alternative sources like wind and solar, and it uses America's technological know-how to recharge our economy with new industries, creating 1.7 million new jobs while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and unstable parts of the world. It will cost families less than $15 month.

Republicans say this cap-and-trade bill is a $2,000-per-year hidden tax on average families. It puts a tax on companies that all Americans will end up paying every time they drive, flip on a light switch or cool their house. Rather than help create new jobs, this hidden tax will make it even more difficult for American manufacturing businesses to compete, and it will send jobs to countries like China and India that refuse to play by the same rules. This new tax hits those who can least afford it — families and small businesses struggling to survive the recession.

Note

Percentages may not total 100 because of rounding.

Source: July 2009 NPR Poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies/Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research